With Congress failing to act on gun safety, the White House issued two executive actions to reduce gun violence.

NYAGV applauds today’s announcement by the White House of two new common sense executive actions to keep dangerous weapons out of the wrong hands and ban nearly all re-imports of military surplus firearms to private entities.

“These are small yet important steps that will enhance gun safety,” said Leah Gunn Barrett, NYAGV Executive Director. ” But Congressional action on gun safety is urgently needed to have a more substantial impact on America’s gun violence epidemic,” she added.

The first action closes a loophole that enabled felons, domestic abusers and the seriously mentally ill to obtain firearms by registering the weapon to a trust or corporation. The action will close the loophole by requiring persons associated with such trusts or corporations to undergo a criminal background check.

The second action will deny requests to bring military-grade firearms back into the U.S. to private entities with only a few exceptions such as for museums. This will keep military weapons such as machine guns off our streets.

Barrett commented, “The Administration is honoring its pledge to do all it can to reduce gun violence in America. But Congress has failed to enact a single piece of gun safety legislation since the tragic Newtown massacre over eight months ago. By refusing to even pass criminal background checks for commercial gun sales, Congress is enabling criminals and the mentally disturbed to continue to purchase dangerous firearms, endangering our children and the safety of our communities.”

Barrett added, “Rather than looking to the NRA, Congress should look to states like New York–which this year passed a law that includes background checks for all gun sales —as a model for gun safety.”